1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to stenotype machines and more particularly to a novel tape marking attachment for such machines.
2. Prior Art
Stenotype machines are widely used for recording legal testimony, office dictation, and other recording applications. As is well known to those versed in the art, a conventional stenotype machine has a frame or housing mounting along its front side a series of keys resembling typewriter keys. At the rear side of the machine is an imprinting zone through which a paper tape is progressively fed, in response to depression of the keys, from a tape supply within the housing. Depression of the keys also imprints the tape, within the imprinting zone, with shorthand symbols which are so designed that a skilled stenotype operator may accurately record and subsequently transcribe testimony, dictation, and the like at a relatively high rate of speed.
This invention is concerned with one particular problem which is frequently encountered in the use of a stenotype machine. The problem referred to resides in the fact that the machine operator often finds it desirable to mark selected portions of the tape for later reference and/or ease of location. At the present time, it is common practice to mark the tape by paper clips, folds, pencil marks, or the like. These methods of marking the tape, however, are not satisfactory for the reason that they interfere with operation of the stenotype machine, slow the recording procedure, result in incomplete or inaccurate stenotype recordings, and creates severe strain in the stenotype operator.
Stenotype tape marking devices have been devised in an attempt to avoid the above noted and other disadvantages inherent in the described tape marking procedure. One of these marking devices, for example, fits on a stenotype machine adjacent the rear tape imprinting zone of the machine and is selectively operable by the machine user to imprint a mark on the edge of the machine tape.